Clamp for portable mixers



p 30, 1958 w. s. BLUME, JR, ETAL 2,854,202

CLAMP FOR PORTABLE MIXERS Filed March 20, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVEN M QTTGEA/E 71% Sept 30, was

Filed March 20, less 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 11 |l 53 10 ii 7 a 2 4c, 3 a 25 4 2 IN V EN TORS.

mm 131%, 15% 22.01%}. mum,

ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent CLAMP FOR PGRTABLE IVHXERS Walter S. Blume, 31a, and Charles H. C. Van Pelt, J12, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignors to Layman Manufacturing Corporation, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application March 20, 1956, Serial No. 572,747

5 Claims. (Ci. 24S16) The present invention relates to clamping devices and is particularly directed to a clamp for adjustably supporting portable apparatus such as a mixer on the wall of a tank or similar container.

There are many applications in the food processing, chemical, drug, and similar industries in which a portable mixer is used to mix or agitate fluid material within a container. A typical mixer of this type includes a housing enclosing an electric motor which drives an elongated shaft provided with a propeller. The mixer is generally mounted on the top of a side wall of a mixing tank, drum, or the like with the shaft depending into the container so that the propeller is immersed in the fluid to be mixed.

It has been determined that in order to obtain the most eflicient mixing, or agitating, the angle of the propeller shaft from perpendicular and the spacing of the propeller from the tank walls must be varied depending upon the physical characteristics of the material being mixed and the nature of the mixing action desired, e. g., blending, stirring, emulsifying, aerating or the like.

The principal object of this invention is to provide clamping means for detachably mounting a mixer on the edge of a tank in any desired position. The present clamp includes means for effecting both horizontal and vertical adjustment of the propeller shaft so that the propeller position and angulation are universally adjustable. The clamp further includes means for securely locking the mixer in any position in which it has been set.

More particularly, a preferred embodiment of the present clamp comprises a tank engaging bracket member such as a generally C-shaped frame threadably carrying a screw which is turned to clamp the tank wall between an arm of the frame and the screw. The frame is also provided with an upwardly extending boss which carries a vertical pin. An externally tapered sleeve provided with a transverse vertical bore fits over the pin and is supported for rotation about a vertical axis by the upper end of the boss. A cylindrical member also including a vertical bore for receiving the pin is mounted within the tapered sleeve.

The mixer housing is provided with two spaced flanges which are mounted on the tapered sleeve. The cylindrical member carries a threaded stud which extends outwardly beyond the sleeve and one of the housing flanges. A thrust bearing plate is fitted over the stud and is adapted for abutment with the adjacent housing flange. A clamping handle threadably engages the end of the stud and is adapted to be threaded inwardly to force the bearing plate against the housing flange.

Horizontal movement of the mixer housing is effected by loosening the clamping handle and rotating the housing, tapered flange and cylindrical member about the vertical pin. Adjustment of the vertical angulation of the mixer housing and the propeller shaft is effected by rotating the housing flanges over the horizontally disposed tapered sleeve. It will readily be appreciated that ice this latter adjustment can be combined with the horizontal adjustment previously described to provide universal adjustment of the propeller position.

After the propeller has been properly positioned, the mixer housing is locked in place by threading the locking handle inwardly over the stud carried by the cylindrical plug. This forces the bearing plate against the housing flange and in turn forces the flange inwardly along the tapered sleeve, causing the flange and sleeve to bind thereby preventing further vertical movement of the mixer housing. Threading the clamping handle inwardly also is effective to draw the cylindrical member outwardly to bind it firmly against the vertical pin. Simultaneously, the tapered sleeve is urged inwardly into a similar binding engagement with the vertical pin. The engagement of the cylindrical member and sleeve with this pin func-- tions to prevent movement of the mixer about a vertical. axis. In the preferred embodiment, the pin, and the portion of the bore formed in the tapered sleeve, remote: from the clamping handle, are knurled to provide a m-aximum gripping action. Consequently, when the clamping handle is threaded inwardly the mixer is tightly locked in place but when the handle is threaded outwardly the sleeve and cylinder are free to turn about the pin.

One of the principal advantages of the present construc tion is that :once the mixer has been locked in place, it is firmly secured in position and does not move even under the influence of severe vibrations or substantial torque. The present clamp has been used with mixers weighing up to 250 pounds rotating as high as 1750 R. P. M. without loosening even after periods of protracted use.

Another advantage of the present invention is that no tools are required to adjust the position of the mixer propeller or to lock the mixer in position after it has been adjusted. To shift the position of the propeller shaft, an operator merely loosens the clamping handle, moves the mixer to the desired position and then tightens the handle to lock the mixer in place. Moreover, the present locking means are extremely rapid, which is highly advantageous for an operator attempting to hold a 250- pound mixer at an angle until it is locked in place.

A still further advantage of the present invention is that the clamp can be economically manufactured. In the first place, the clamp comprises a minimum number of parts; and, secondly, each of the parts is readily cast or machined. This is in sharp contrast to clamps of the type previously proposed including spherical surfaces which are relatively expensive to produce.

An additional advantage of the preferred embodiment of mixer clamp is that it functions to prevent accidental damage to the mixer or tank which might occur during adjustment of the position of the mixer. When previous type mixer clamps are released, the mixer is free to move in any direction and has a tendency to swing rapidly in a downward direction until the agitator shaft strikes the tank walls. In contrast, the present clamp incorporates a degree of taper on the tapered sleeve and flange which is sufficiently small so that these members tend to look upon themselves when the clamping handle is tightened. Then when the clamping handle is released, the flange and tapered sleeve remain bound with a sufiicient force to support mixers up to approximately pounds; and only a very small additional force must be exerted by the operator to support heavier mixers. However the tendency of the tapered sleeve and flange to lock does not affect the release of the unit for movement about the vertical pin. This is highly advantageous since most of the minor adjustments in a tank require motion in a horizontal plane without corresponding adjustments in a vertical plane. With the present clamp, adjustment can be Operator need only esenthe leakin a id eandt p t nwa d y to. l t e tap d. sleeve andflan e.

he e. and rebi etsan ad en esesr f.thenr se n entio w l e m r e ilyann e t om. a; f rthe consideration of the following detailed description of efl wings ill s a ng, a Pref rr d. em od m n the invention.

In,the drawings:

i' re s, a e nal. vie o .v mix r. cl p. c. 11- mi t din c rdan Wi h.. e-.n ese nven o Figlure 2 is across sectional view;of the clamp taken along li ne,2-T-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken along line 33 of Figure l. H p

Figure 4 is a vertical cross sectional view taken through a tank showing'the manner in which the mixer is rotated about ahorizontal axis.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the tank and mixer shown in Figure 4, showing the manner in which the mixer is rotated about a vertical axis.

As shown in Figures 1, 4 and 5, a clamp of the present invention is particularly adapted for detachably mounting a portable mixer 11 on top of the side wall 12 of a container 13, such as a mixing tank, drum, or the like, Mixer 11 includes a housing. 14, supporting an electrio motor and carrying an elongated driven shaft 15 which is adapted to depend into the container. ShaftlS may be directly driven by the motor or may be driven,

through a suitable gear drive. It will be understood that the details of the motor and shaft drive constitute no part of. the present invention. Shaft 15 carries at its lower endone or more propeller type agitators 16 efliective upon rotation to mix the contents of the container.

Thedetails of construction of clamp 10 are best shown inFigures 1-3. As there shown, the clamp comprises a substantially C-shaped frame member 17 which may be forged or cast from steel, bronze or some other suitable material. Frame 17 includes an arm 18 having a flat face adaptedfor abutting engagement with the inside of container wall ,12. A second arm 18 of the clamp is formed with a threaded bearing for carrying a screw 19 which is provided at its inner end with a head 20 for clamping engagement with'the outer side of the container wall. The other end of screw-19 carriesa suitable operating handleorpin 21 for rotating the screw and firmly clamping frame 17 'in place on container wall. Frame l'iis provided with an upstanding boss 22 having a vertical bore 23 formed therein for supporting vertical pin 24, this pin being press-fitted in the bore and being held in place by a wedge shapedcross-pin 25 driven into transverse aperture 25 formed in the boss. The outer end of boss 22 is machined to provide a flat horizontally disposed bearing surface 27.

A sleeve 28 having a vertical cross bore 30 formed therein for loosely receiving pin 24 engages bearing surface 27 ofthe boss and is supported thereby: Sleeve 28 is provided with a longitudinal, cylindrical inner bore 31, a cylindrical end portion 32, and a tapered'portion 33 along which the outer diameter of the sleeve decreases from cylindrical portion 32 to end 34 of the sleeve. Two flat surfaces 35 and 36 are machined onthe periphery of e e 8-e dflange 2., hro ghbeari g plate. 47. Thea.

30 end of this stud carries; a suitable membensuchaszball- '4. 28. More particularly, bore 44in flange 43 is cylindrical and is of a size only slightly greater than cylindrical end portion 32 of sleeve 28, so that flange 43 is adapted to embrace that portion of the sleeve. vided with an opening 45 having substantially the same taper as end 33 of sleeve 28, the largest diameter of the bore being smaller than the largest diameter in the sleeve.

As best shown in Figures 2 and 3, flange 42 is of sufficient thickness so that it extends outwardly beyond the, end 34 of tapered sleeve 28. This extending portion is preferably machined to form a bearing face 46; adapted for engagement with an annular plate member 47.

An elongated cylindricalmember 48 having. ansouter diameter slightly smaller than longitudinal bore 31 of sleeve 28, is mounted within the sleeve bore. Cylindrical member 48 is provided with a transverse opening 50 for loosely receiving pin 24. Opening 50 of member 48 is preferably provided with ,knurlsSl, on, the .portion.;of:.the opening 7 remote from the tapered. portion. 33...,of .sleeve 28, adapted to cooperate withknurls 41 of pin. 24, as: explained above.

T end. 0t. lo gat d. m mber; 48, djacent .to ta ered end 33 of sleeve 28 carries a threaded clamping stud; 52; This stud maybe formed integrally with thecylindrical mb r. rm y be e ured th re o inanvsuitablemam ner, such as.by welding or the like. This stud-is;0.f;;s.1 f-.- ficient length-to extend outwardly beyond the Qndaiof,

crank 53 provided with an internal threaded; openingadapted to receive the stud; whereby upon rptation, the member is adapted to be threadedinwardly oroutwardly along the stud. Handle 53 also-includes a. surfaeeifl; disposed for abutting engagement with bearing plate.47.

The vmixer clamp is readily 'assembled; by inserting-1 pered-sleeve 28 through the opening in flange;;43: and,. into the tapered opening inflange- 42. -It will be noted;

that flange 43 is preferably beveledas at 55;to facilitate this insertion. Next, cylindrical member 48 is insertedin. longitudinalbore 31 oftaper'ed sleeve 28. This ,sleeveis; then placed on top of bearing surface 27 of boss 22.and= cross bore 30 of the sleeve; opening 50 in cy1inder 48-, and pin receiving bore 23. inthe boss areall broughtinto alignment. Pin 24, is inserted through the bores in; these; members and is press-fitted into the bos'sgafter which-ta:

pered pin 25 is driven into place to hold the vertical pin.

in position. Finally, bearing plate 47 is placed over stud 52 and ball crank 53 is threaded over the; stud to hold, the,

bearing platein position.

In'use, the mixer is mounted upon a tank by placing 7 frame member 17, on the top of a side wall of the/tank and turning handle 21 to rotate screw 19, clampingthe side wall of the tank firmly between arm1'8 of the frame member and'the. head 20 carried by the screw.

Next, the position of the propeller shaft is adjusted by turning ball crank 53' to thread that member outwardly over stud 52. This disengages bearing plate 47 from flange 42 and permits flanges 42 and 43 to. beshifted:

the sleeve intermediate the endsthereof. Surface 35 is a bearing surface for engagement with surface 27 of the boss while surface 36 is adapted for cooperative engagement with an enlarged head 37 formed on the upper, end of pin 24.

Tapered sleeve 23 directly supports motor housing 11; the housing being provided with two spaced flanges 42 and43-including bores adaptedto receive-tapered sleeve.

ball crank 53 inwardly to loosen'thesleeve and flange, and,

then'rotating-the flanges over the sleeve. This provides the adjustment shown in Figure 4; Obviously, both hori: zontal and vertical adjustments can be combined to bring propeller'14 into any desired position within; the tank.

When the mixer hasbeen properly positioned, it isreadily-clamped and locked into-position by;rota ting ball crank 53in the opposite direction to thread-that member inwardlyoven stud 52. When'ba-ll crank 53-is threadedinwardly, it forces -bearing plate'47 againstfiange- Flange 42 is pro- 42, forcing this flange inwardly along the tapered portion of sleeve 28. After only very slight movement, flange 42 binds upon the sleeve thereby preventing vertical pivotal movement of the mixer housing. Simultaneously sleeve 28 is urged inwardly into locking engagement with pin 24 (to the left in Figures 2 and 3) and cylindrical member 48 is drawn outwardly (to the right in Figures 2 and 3) so that that member also firmly engages pin 24. Thus, pivotal movement of the mixer housing is prevented by the interlocking engagement of the knurled surface of the cylinder with the knurled periphery of the vertical pin and the engagement of the pin with the tapered sleeve. That is, as best shown in Figure 2, the knurled surface 51 is formed on the side of opening 50 remote from handle 53. This knurled surface engages knurled surface 41 on pin 24 when handle 53 is tightened and cylindrical member 48 is drawn to the right; these knurled surfaces lock tightly against one another to prevent any rotation of the mixer about pin 24. This double-acting lock has proven to be extremely effective in preventing movement of the mixer even after periods of protracted use.

From the above description of the general principles of the present invention and the foregoing disclosure of a preferred embodiment, those skilled in the art will readily comprehend the various modifications to which the present invention is susceptible. For example, while clamp has been described in conjunction with a C-clamp type mounting frame, it will readily be appreciated that boss 22 could be formed on another type of wall engaging clamp, while the remainder of the clamping device could be constructed'and would operate in the same manner.

Having described our invention, we claim:

1. A clamp for detachably supporting aportable mixer on the top of a container Wall, said clamp comprising a frame member adapted for releasable attachment to a container wall, a vertical pin projecting upwardly from said frame member, a sleeve in engagement with said frame member, said sleeve including a transverse bore receiving said pin and a longitudinal bore, said sleeve having a tapered endwise portion, an elongated member mounted within said longitudinal bore and including a transverse opening receiving said pin, a stud extending outwardly from said member and projecting outwardly beyond the tapered endwise portion of said sleeve, said mixer being provided with a flange in engagement with the tapered portion of said sleeve, and means in threaded engagement with said stud and in abutment with said flange for forcing said flange into binding engagement with said seleeve, whereby said flange is urged into binding engagement with said sleeve and the sleeve and elongated member are urged into binding engagement with the pin.

2. A clamp for supporting a portable mixer on the top of a container wall, said clamp comprising a frame member adapted for releasable attachment to a container wall, a horizontal bearing surface formed on the upper portion of said frame member, a vertical pin projecting upwardly from said bearing surface, a sleeve in engage- -ment with said bearing surface and including a transverse bore receiving said pin and a longitudinal bore, said sleeve having a tapered endwise portion and a cylindrical portion, an elongated member disposed within said longitudinal bore in engagement therewith, and including a cross opening receiving said vertical pin, a stud extending outwardly from an end of said elongated member, said mixer being provided with two spaced flanges in respective engagement with the cylindrical portion and the tapered portion of said sleeve, the flange disposed in engagement with the tapered portion of said sleeve being provided with a tapered opening receiving the sleeve, a bearing plate mounted over said stud and in engagement with said last named flange, and a member threadably engaging said stud and in abutment with said bearing plate, said last named member being adapted to force 3 said bearing plate against said flange, whereby said flange is urged into binding engagement with-said sleeve and the sleeve and elongated member are urged into binding engagement with the pin.

3. A clamp for supporting a portable mixer on the top of a container wall, said clamp comprising a frame mem ber adapted for releasable attachment to a container Wall member, a horizontal bearing surface formed in the upper portion of said frame, a vertical pin projecting upwardly from said bearing surface, a sleeve in engagement with said bearing surface and including a transverse bore receiving said pin and a longitudinal bore, said sleeve having a tapered endwise portion and a cylindrical portion, an elongated member disposed within said longitudinal bore in engagement therewith, and including a cross opening receiving said vertical pin, a stud extending outwardly from an end of said elongated member, said mixer being provided with a flange in engagement with the cylindrical portion and the tapered portion of said sleeve, the flange being provided with a tapered opening receiving the sleeve, a bearing plate mounted over said stud and in engagement with said flange, and a member threadably engaging said stud and in abutment with said bearing plate, said last named member being adapted to force said hearing plate against said flange, whereby said flange is urged into binding engagement with said sleeve and the sleeve and member are urged into binding engagement with the 4. A clamp for supporting a portable mixer on the top of a container wall, said clamp comprising a frame member adapted for releasable attachment to a container wall, a horizontal bearing surface formed on the upper portion of said frame member, a vertical pin having a knurled portion on its peripherly projecting upwardly from said bearing surface, a sleeve in engagement with said bearing surface and including a transverse bore receiving said pin and a longitudinal bore, said sleeve including a cylindrical portion and a portion tapering inwardly from said cylindrical portion to an end of said sleeve, an elongated member disposed within said longitudinal bore in engagement therewith, and including a knurled cross opening receiving said vertical pin, a stud extending outwardly from an end of said elongated member, said mixer being provided with two spaced flanges in respective engagement with the cylindrical portion and the tapered portion of said sleeve, the flange disposed in engagement with the tapered portion of said sleeve being provided with a tapering opening receiving the sleeve, and a member threadably engaging said stud and adapted to force said last named flange against said sleeve, whereby said flange is urged into binding engagement with said sleeve and the sleeve and member are urged into binding engagement with the pin.

5. A clamp for supporting a portable mixer on the top of a container wall, said clamp comprising a frame member adapted for releasable attachment to a container wall, a boss terminating in a horizontal bearing surface formed on the upper portion of said frame member, a vertical pin projecting upwardly from said boss, a sleeve having a flat portion in engagement with said bearing surface and including a transverse bore receiving said pin, said pin having an enlarged head in engagement with the opposite side of said sleeve, said sleeve also including a longitudinal bore, said sleeve having a tapered endwise portion and a cylindrical portion, an elongated cylindrical member disposed 'within said longitudinal bore in engagement therewith, and including a cross opening receiving said vertical pin, a stud extending outwardly from an end of said elongated member, said mixer being provided with two spaced flanges in respective engagement with the cylindrical portion and the tapered portion of said sleeve, the flange in engagement with the tapered portion of said sleeve being provided with a tapered opening receiving the sleeve, said tapered opening being of substantially the same taper as said sleeve, the largest diametei' 'of said o pening-being smaller than thediameter of said 'sl'eeveysaid last named flange extending outwardly beyend tlie end-"ofi said sleeve, abearing plate mounted over said stud and in engagement with said last named flngeyand a-mem-ber' threadably engaging said-stud and' gagement withsid; sleeve and: the sleeve and cylindrical member are urged into :binding engagementwith the pin.

RefeiencesCitedin the-file of this p itent v I UNIT STATES PATENTS "Aalborg V Aug. 11', 1914' Miller t Sept. 9,1941

Bilz Feb. 9*, 1943 

